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How to force a specific software to use proxy?

I flagged an answer as NAA, and my flag was declined:

flags should not be used to indicate technical inaccuracies, or an altogether wrong answer

However, that answer is now deleted.

What's wrong with my flag, if that answer is now deleted?

Here's an image of the post in question:

Image of deleted answer

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    I feel your pain. When I started using Super User I would use the NAA flag on wrong answers thinking, "That's wrong! That doesn't answer the question!" But wrong answers should be downvoted, not deleted as @Mokubai points out.
    – I say Reinstate Monica
    Commented Dec 7, 2017 at 12:21
  • If I had a nickel for every time I flagged something, the flag was declined, and the post got deleted anyway, I’d be rich. I agree with Mokubai’s decision to “err on the side of caution” (as Journeyman Geek puts it), but, at the risk of ruffling some feathers, I believe that some moderators sometimes get it wrong, and decline perfectly appropriate flags. On the other hand, there are quite a few high-rep users who routinely vote to delete incorrect answers, which is the wrong thing to do.
    – Scott - Слава Україні
    Commented Dec 8, 2017 at 22:05
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    Recommended reading:  How do I properly use the “Not an Answer” flag? (a part of the Stack Exchange FAQ; it explicitly says that wrong and partial answers are answers, and should not be flagged or deleted), Your answer is in another castle: when is an answer not an answer? (a.k.a. “Your apple is in another orchard”), and its sequel, You’re doing it wrong: A plea for sanity in the Low Quality Posts queue.
    – Scott - Слава Україні
    Commented Dec 8, 2017 at 22:05
  • @Scott that guidance was written by SO moderators. No other site moderator has ever been able to modify it. Please, don't spread false information.
    – Braiam
    Commented Dec 10, 2018 at 14:24

2 Answers 2

Reset to default
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I rejected the flag.

The "not an answer" flag states:

This was posted as an answer, but it does not attempt to answer the question. It should possibly be an edit, a comment, another question, or deleted altogether.

But the answer was attempting to answer the question. It might have been doing it badly, or answering a subtle variation of the question, but an attempt was made.

The question itself is poorly phrased:

I wanted to use proxy(tor socks) on some software(android studio) but not all. 

Which, to my mind, means:

I want to use a proxy for some software, specifically Android Studio, but not all softwares.

For that question the answer would clearly solve the problem. It doesn't affect more than Android Studio, but the question is not clear as to whether this is explicitly desired.

The reviewers apparently saw it differently.

mumble mumble tempted to undelete it mumble mumble

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    I see answers like this getting reviewed incorrectly on a regular basis. Given that several high rep users were involved in this deletion, I wonder if our community is in need of a refresher course on the fact valid attempts to answer a question shouldn't be deleted.
    – I say Reinstate Monica
    Commented Dec 7, 2017 at 12:25
  • @TwistyImpersonator, In the review queue, the specific flag reason that put the post there isn't visible. The review queue it was in was the Low Quality Post queue. Looking back at it now in the context of this thread, I can see how it might not be quite as low quality as it originally appeared in the review queue. But at the time, my reaction to it was that it seemed more like a comment than a clear, actionable solution to the question. In hindsight and the spirit of the holiday season, I wouldn't have strong objections to it being undeleted.
    – fixer1234
    Commented Dec 7, 2017 at 20:56
  • This interpretation is from SO only. Please, don't bring that interpretation to other sites.
    – Braiam
    Commented Dec 10, 2018 at 14:23
  • @Braiam never having been remotely active on SO I'm not sure how I have brought it from anywhere. If you have a constructive argument for or against handling a flag a particular way then please state it. Giving a reason is rather more useful than "$other_site$ does that, don't do that here".
    – Mokubai Mod
    Commented Dec 10, 2018 at 15:25
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I didn't handle the flag so, I think I can handle this with some fresh eyes.

I'd start by saying the wording on the original question could be interpreted both ways. I read it as he wants to set a seperate proxy for only android studio. You haven't. I suppose that's fine.

5 users agreed on review. I might disagree but meh.

I think both the question and the answer were both kind of on the borderline of clarity. The answer probably answered the question, but the wording of the question is such that I'm not sure if my interpretation of it is correct. For a question pertaining to only android studio, its a valid answer. Otherwise, yeah. And its good to err on the side of caution sometimes.

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  • What happened to the answer, by the way? Does it get self-deleted?
    – Vylix
    Commented Dec 7, 2017 at 8:10
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    naw, deleted on review queues.
    – Journeyman Geek Mod
    Commented Dec 7, 2017 at 8:12
  • I voted to delete the answer because it was an incomplete answer IMO. I wasn’t going to attempt to salvage the answer, wasn’t going to be worth the effort in my opinion. It however, as @JourneymanGeek points out, does attempt to answer the question
    – Ramhound
    Commented Dec 7, 2017 at 12:18
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    @Ramhound Partial answers are acceptable.
    – I say Reinstate Monica
    Commented Dec 7, 2017 at 12:58
  • +1 for “err on the side of caution”.
    – Scott - Слава Україні
    Commented Dec 8, 2017 at 16:21
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    @TwistyImpersonator They might be acceptable but I don’t find them particularly helpful.
    – Ramhound
    Commented Dec 18, 2017 at 15:46
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    @Ramhound Which is of course a viewpoint you are entitled to, but in the case of partial answers, one best shared via a down vote, not a recommend delete vote.
    – I say Reinstate Monica
    Commented Dec 18, 2017 at 15:55

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